EA Releases NFL Head Coach, Puts Face to NBA Live 07, Tunes Up for Madden

In the world of sports gaming, Electronic Arts has released the first 3D sports strategy game, NFL HEAD COACH, announced that Tracy McGrady will be the new face of NBA LIVE 07 and reveals the 35 songs that will be featured in MADDEN NFL 07.

NFL HEAD COACH¸ a new franchise from the EA SPORTS brand is now in stores and challenges gamers to manage every aspect of a professional football team and build their franchise from the ground up into a perennial powerhouse.

Players can manage every detail of a head coachs job by calling the plays from the sidelines, conducting practice, scouting players and making draft day deals to land the leagues next superstar in detailed, interactive environments. In NFL HEAD COACH, it is the players responsibility to make the right decisions, hire the best people and develop a game plan that will catch the opposition off guard. Find impact players and upgrade rosters via the draft, free agency and trades.

NFL HEAD COACH is a completely unique football experience unlike any other football game EA SPORTS has ever created," said Todd Sitrin, vp of marketing, EA Tiburon, the studio famous for making the top-rated football games MADDEN NFL and NCAA FOOTBALL. Now the focus is on the six days leading up to game day and the strategy behind every coaching decision made. This is the game to decide if you really have what it takes to turn your team into a champion.

NFL HEAD COACH includes voice-activated gameplay so players can use headsets to call plays on game day and receive audio play recommendations from coordinators. Steve Sabol, president of NFL Films, hosts scripted sequences as coaching career milestones are reached. The game also features ESPN integration with Mel Kiper Jr. and Trey Wingo.

Developed by EA Tiburon in Orlando, Florida, where MADDEN NFL FOOTBALL, NCAA FOOTBALL, NASCAR and SUPERMAN RETURNS: THE VIDEOGAME are developed, NFL HEAD COACH is available on PlayStation 2, Xbox and PC for $39.99 and is rated E by the ESRB. For more information, log on to www.nflheadcoach.com.

In addition, Electronic Arts announced that Tracy McGrady has been selected the new face of NBA LIVE 07, scheduled for release this fall under the EA SPORTS brand.

The Houston Rockets forward joins an exclusive list of NBA players to be selected to the cover of the best-selling EA SPORTS basketball franchise. McGrady will serve as spokesperson and will be the centerpiece of NBA LIVE 07 advertising, marketing and packaging in North America and several other countries around the world.

A two-time NBA scoring champion and six-time NBA All-Star, McGrady led the league in scoring by averaging 32.1 points per game in 2003, when he became the youngest NBA player to average 30-plus points per game since Bob McAdoo in 1974-75, and has remained one of the games most popular and entertaining players. McGrady finished 12th in NBA scoring (24.4 ppg) this year and averaged 6.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists. It was the sixth time in his career he has scored more than 24 points a game.

Ive always looked upon the EA SPORTS athletes as fan favorites so Im honored to be named this years NBA LIVE 07 cover athlete and join the EA SPORTS family, said McGrady. Each year there is tremendous anticipation around the league as players wait to see themselves in NBA LIVE and I feel like this year my virtual self plays more like me than ever before. This is as close to playing in the NBA as you get.

Powered by next generation technology that EA showcased at Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), NBA LIVE 07 will introduce the next generation of basketball gameplay with EA SPORTS Total Freestyle Control, a new feature that gives users more control over athletes than they ever imagined. NBA LIVE 07 will introduce a groundbreaking next generation AI system that is both intuitive and intelligent, combined with advancements to fan-favorite features like All-Star Weekend and Dynasty Mode.

This year NBA LIVE 07 will partner with the worldwide leader in sports to deliver more ESPN content in-game while you play than ever before. The most advanced ESPN integration package with never-before-seen features will be available only through NBA LIVE 07.

The official NBA LIVE 07 website will host news and information on this years game, behind the scenes looks at the TV commercial shoots and the making of the game, as well as contests, videos, screenshots and pod casts with some of the top 2006 NBA Draft picks. Go to www.nbalive07.com for the latest news and features for NBA LIVE 07.

Developed in Vancouver by EA Canada, the studio which is also home to the popular NBA STREET and NCAA MARCH MADNESS franchises, NBA LIVE 07 will be available on the Xbox 360, Xbox, PlayStation 2, PSP and PC.

Moreover, Electronic Arts has revealed the 35 songs that will be featured in MADDEN NFL 07.

Year after year, the music selected for inclusion in EAs smash hit football series invariably becomes the soundtrack of the football season, moving beyond the game to turn up in football stadiums and on live TV broadcasts, said Steve Schnur, worldwide exec of music and music marketing at EA. The Madden NFL Football franchise is recognized across North America as a driving force behind break-out bands this year EA does it again.

Players step onto the field in MADDEN NFL 07 with the thundering roar of the crowd in the background and the air filled with pounding rock anthems and energizing hip hop beats. Dr. Dres protégé who first appeared in NBA LIVE 06 and NFL STREET 2, Bishop LaMont now makes an appearance on MADDEN NFL 07 with a track featuring Chevy Jones, while Lupe Fiasco is on deck with Jonah Matranga. These tracks are included alongside new releases from fan favorites AFI, Audioslave, Dashboard Confessional and Taking Back Sunday. Also this year, the game will feature new music debuts from Jared Letos 30 Seconds to Mars, Dave Navarros band The Panic Channel and Rise Against.

Again this year, the hip hop production team Da Riffs remixed nearly a dozen original NFL FILMS music pieces will be showcased throughout the menus and in gameplay.

Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is the world's leading interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the company develops, publishes and distributes interactive software worldwide for videogame systems, personal computers and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA SPORTS, EA, EA SPORTS BIG and POGO. In fiscal 2006, EA posted revenue of $2.95 billion and had 27 titles that sold more than one million copies. More information can be found at info.ea.com.